Neglected Poorvanchal cries for development

The condition of Poorvanchal (eastern UP) has gone from bad to worse with the emerging regional parties in UP treating the region as a safe haven. The entire Poorvanchal has been facing a daunting task to root out unemployment and poverty while the mafia and criminals continue to thrive on political protection. That is why backwardness has never been an issue here.

With the major political parties Congress, BJP and Left staying out of power in Uttar Pradesh, the regional parties have taken a front seat here. These parties have divided the Poorvanchal into caste and class spreading enmity among people in society, and so the development has taken a back seat.

Even during Lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls, backwardness does not figure in local issues. The industrialists and businessmen are migrating to other states.

Due to missing political leadership in the region, the mafia has claimed ‘supremacy’. From Gorakhpur to Varanasi, the criminal groups have their say in the government functioning.

Every government or non- government liquor shops are run by them which impacts bureaucracy hitting governance badly. The only industry is sugarcane here but all the factories have been shut because of which farmers are left with no alternative source of earning income.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, Chandrashekhar and VP Singh from Uttar Pradesh have been prime ministers of India. Yet Poorvanchal has not seen any development. Shortage of politicians has added to the problems. Due to the governing policies of ruling SP and erstwhile BSP, the condition of the state has worsened further.